1
as in enacting
to put into effect through legislative or authoritative action
the city council promises to lay down new ordinances that will force dog walkers to clean up after their animals
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in declaring
to state clearly and strongly
at the risk of their popularity, the parents laid down the rules for the party and wouldn't accept any arguments
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in specifying
to give the rules about (something) clearly and exactly
the supervisor laid down the procedure for a complaint of sexual harassment
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in relinquishing
to give (something) over to the control or possession of another usually under duress
commanded the surrounded troops to lay down their weapons
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for laying down
Verb
-
The Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) preempts states from enacting laws that conflict with ERISA on regulated benefit plans.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
16 Sep. 2025 -
Treasury yields edged lower Monday, extending recent declines, after the Empire State Manufacturing Index came in far below what Wall Street economists had expected and traders looked ahead to the Federal Reserve enacting an interest rate cut later this week.—
Pia Singh,Ganesh Rao,
CNBC,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Thomas Massie is declaring victory on his move to force a vote on releasing the Jeffrey Epstein files after the election to fill a vacant Arizona House seat.—
Burgess Everett,
semafor.com,
24 Sep. 2025
-
In May 2024, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution declaring that Palestinians qualify for full UN membership status.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
22 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The vote — taken during a lightning-quick meeting without specifying the property or the reason for the transfer — was immediately followed by an announcement from Attorney General James Uthmeier that the state would dedicate the land to Trump’s library.—
Claire Heddles,
Miami Herald,
23 Sep. 2025
-
The Prosecutor's Office released a statement specifying that her vehicle was also found at the hotel.—
Zoey Lyttle,
PEOPLE,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
At first glance, Beijing’s willingness to play ball on TikTok looks like a sharp reversal from its years of resistance to relinquishing control over the viral video app – the first global social media hit to come out of China.—
Simone McCarthy,
CNN Money,
20 Sep. 2025
-
Few believe Kim would countenance relinquishing his nuclear deterrence, given the fates of Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi and Iraq’s Saddam Hussein, both toppled after abandoning their weapons programs.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
At a conventional intersection, drivers are turning left, traffic is passing in both directions and a right turn on red might include a driver who doesn’t see a pedestrian crossing with the light, Bryson said.—
Eric D. Lawrence,
USA Today,
28 Sep. 2025
-
The junior quarterback went 5-for-8 passing with 146 yards, while adding 59 yards rushing to go with three total touchdowns as Springfield Central defeated a Catholic Conference nemesis, 28-20.—
Brendan Connelly,
Boston Herald,
27 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
In 2009 three armed white men entered the Chuschagasta’s lands asserting legal title to the area.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
22 Sep. 2025
-
A little farther back, in 2023, a fascinating paper came out asserting that perhaps Hawking radiation isn’t just for black holes, but rather should apply to any massive object that led to spacetime curvature.—
Ethan Siegel,
Big Think,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
This fan support led him to a United States Championship victory and an emotional, career-defining win in the ladder match for the Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania 32.—
Andrew Ravens,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Sep. 2025
-
In Kathmandu, Nepal, where anger at the government boiled over in September 2025, the flag became the defining image as flames spread through the gates of Singha Durbar, Nepal’s ornate palace complex and seat of power.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
In early January 2025, the Bureau of Land Management website explained the communities are in an area that climate change is rendering uninhabitable, mentioning climate eight times.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
24 Sep. 2025
-
Miu Miu leaned into tradition, rendering argyle in a restrained palette that nodded to its country club roots.—
Minty Mellon,
Vogue,
24 Sep. 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Cite this Entry
“Laying down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/laying%20down. Accessed 30 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share